Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Call No: PN1995.9.A75 M66 2003

I had a difficult time deciding which film to review first. I went through the shelves carefully. I looked at old films, newer films, imported and animated. I made notes of films on my “to watch” list, and considered donating my DVD copies of Casablanca and The Shawshank Redemption to the library (mental note: see if that is allowed). When my housemates asked about my progress, I spouted off the most recognizable movies I’d come across. The Day After Tomorrow. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

One of my housemates stopped me. “I haven’t seen that movie.”

Bingo. Problem solved.

Now I know what some of you are going to say. “How has somebody not seen Monty Python and the Holy Grail?”. As someone who hadn’t seen any of the Terminator movies until last year and The Exorcist this past Halloween, I’m not about to pass judgement. I was fortunate enough to be introduced to Holy Grail in high school. My friend had the same reaction. “How have you not seen it?”, he said. He began spouting off lines about coconuts and the average wing speed velocity of a swallow, and started saying “Ni” incessantly. After seeing the movie, I understood, and found myself doing the same thing to my housemate.

For those who don’t know, Monty Python was an English comedy troupe out of Britain that became popular through their comedy sketch show, Monty Python’s Flying Circus, back in 1969. The troupe had six members: Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Terry Gillam, Terry Jones, John Cleese, and Michael Palin. While all of the members have since gone on with their careers, it was their Python work that first made them famous. The popularity of the show led the group to produce albums, films and books. This film, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, is one of the troupe’s most popular. It even inspired the popular musical Spamalot, which opened on Broadway in 2005 with a cast of such talents as Tim Curry (Rocky Horror Picture Show), David Hyde Pierce (Frasier), and Hank Azaria (The Simpsons).

The premise of the film is fairly simple. King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table set out on a quest from God to find the Holy Grail. Unfortunately they encounter nothing but problems, from the taunting of a French soldier to a three-headed giant to an effeminate prince to dozens of other moments that would be a crime to spoil. If you’ve seen it, feel free to keep counting.

Having re-watched the film after a number of years, I’ve found that there are two things that make this film an unusual comedic treat (among dozens of other things):

(1) The Film knows that it’s a Film.

From the comedic opening credits, to the use of the film historian, to a father who keeps interrupting the orchestra, this film knows it’s a film. And when that happens, there’s another entire layer of comedy available to the writers, and the Pythons definitely make good use of it. The fourth wall is broken. Characters we haven’t met yet are telling characters on screen to hurry their scene up. And of course, the most notable of all these is the sound effects. If you have seen it, you’ll know what I mean when I say that I want to make a shirt that says “Save a horse, Use a Coconut”. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, I recommend a prescription of Monty Python and the Holy Grail.  The film knows what it is and takes advantage of it as often as they can, which includes the ending.

(2) They make good use of their Flying Circus skills.

If you’ve ever seen Monty Python’s Flying Circus, you know that it was, at its essence, a skit show. Lots of funny little random skits made up each episode of the show, with the same six members being used in every skit. These two aspects of the show are used prominently in the film. The six actors are used multiple times in the film, sometimes with one person playing two roles in the same scene. One of the actors even manages to die four separate times in the film. Watch this with a group of friends. Everyone pick a Python and count how many different characters they play. You'd be surprised. This gimmick adds another layer of comedy that doesn't often appear in film.

John Cleese makes good use of his talents,
playing two different characters in the same scene.

The film itself is almost comprised of separate skits, especially when the knights and Arthur become separated. The Witch Trial. The Prince in the Tower. Or my personal favourite, the coconut debate at the beginning of the film. All of these scenes are tied to the storyline, but many of them can work on their own as well. The individual skits serve their purpose and move on to the next one while still keeping with the overarching story of the film, which has its own comedic consistencies.

Not to mention that the film has dozens of quotable moments. I’ve lost count how many times I’ve heard “It’s just a flesh wound” used in everyday conversation. I can’t look at coconuts in the grocery store the same way anymore. And I keep an extra close eye on any rabbits in the garden and make sure I’m a safe distance away. 

For those who have seen it, you’ll be happy to know that the library has a copy. Maybe you’re due for a re-watch. For those who haven’t, I highly recommend it. Although it isn’t for everyone, it deserves at least one viewing.

Oh, and for the record, the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow is anywhere from 9 to 11 meters per second, depending on size. And that’s a European swallow. You have to know these things when you’re a blogger.